Last week, youth and high school football coaches from across the country gathered in Canton, Ohio, for the eighth annual NFL Youth Football Summit, an event made up of educational seminars that covered a variety of important football-related topics.

 

Each high school football coach in attendance was nominated as a delegate by his students or peers, and each represented one of the 50 states as well as Washington, D.C. Twenty additional coaches who previously played in the NFL were also invited because of their commitment to football during their professional careers and their dedication to the game once their days in the league were over.  

 

“I got to meet coaches from all over the country,” said former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Dameane Douglas. “Now if I have a question, I can call a coach that I’ve met from Atlanta or Oklahoma or Nebraska. It really is a blessing t o be able to come out here and get all of these football minds together to talk.”

 

In addition to networking opportunities, the coaches listened to presentations that focused on a variety of topics, such as training methods, strategy, hydration issues, nutrition and positive coaching principles. Presenters included renowned football experts, leaders in the fields of sports medicine and sports psychology, and representatives from USA Football.

Riki Ellison, a former San Francisco 49er linebacker and high school football coach who previously attended the Youth Football Summit, returned to speak about the resources available to coaches and his Youth Football Impact Program.

“The Youth Football Summit brings together coaches in the field today and exposes them to a wealth of knowledge and a lot of resources they may not have figured out on their own,” Ellison said. “But more importantly, they learn about some of the programs that the NFL and the NFLPA already have in place to help the kids. What’s special about this thing is that you’ve got the league and the Players Association behind it.”

 

Former Philadelphia Eagles running back Jamie Reader agrees. “I learned a lot about motivation and leadership,” he said. “But we were also given many resources I can take back to my high school and incorporate, and hopefully have a successful season.”

 

While coaches found these lectures helpful, one presentation in particular seemed to20truly resonate with many of those in attendance. Coach Ed Thomas, the NFL’s 2005 High School Coach of the Year, shared his emotional story about the adversity his community and his football program faced after a devastating F-5 tornado tore through his small town of Parkersburg, Iowa, on May 25.

 

A high school football coach for 33 seasons at Aplington-Parkersburg High School, Thomas described the lessons his team learned following the destruction of his school, his stadium and his home.

 

“About a half-hour after the tornado hit, I went to the field,” Thomas said. “A number of players came up, and we started picking up glass. We made a decision that day: We are going to play football in Parkersburg on the same field we’ve always played. We felt it was important for our school and our community because of the traditions we have there.”

 

Thomas said the disaster provided an opportunity to teach his players the values that are needed to be successful in life long after they leave his program, and he encouraged the coaches in the crowd to do the same. He also stressed commitment and loyalty, and he praised his four former players who are currently in the NFL — Jared DeVries (Detroit), Aaron Kampman (Green Bay), Brad Meester (Jacksonville) and Casey Wiegmann (Denver) — for returning to Parkersburg to offer their help and support.

 

“They play at the highest level,” Thomas said. “Yet they are better young men=2 0than they are players. That’s the biggest compliment I can give them.”  

 

So moved were the coaches in attendance that efforts were made onsite to raise additional funds for Thomas’ program. One coach even donated the $1,000 grant he won as part of a raffle sponsored by Brax Cup to Coach Thomas. Brax Cup proceeded to match the grant with an additional $1,000 check to the Parkersburg program. With the aid of the NFL and the NFLPA, the school is on target to open its 2008 season as scheduled at home on September 5.

 

The Youth Football Summit is funded each year by the NFLPA and the NFL, which made a major commitment to investing in the game with the establishment of the $150 million NFL Youth Football Fund.

 

For information on next year’s Youth Football Summit, please contact the NFLPA Communications Department at 202-756-9170.